No. 1 Alabama 21, No. 5 LSU 17: Grading the Tide

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- No. 1 Alabama got all it could handle and more Saturday night from a No. 5 LSU team that was coming off a bye week.

The Tigers looked fresher. They clearly used their extra week of preparation well.

But the Crimson Tide was resilient, rallying in the final minutes for a 21-17 victory.

If Alabama goes on to win its second consecutive national championship, this epic comeback will be remembered the way a 12-10 victory over Tennessee in 2009 is remembered.

On to the report card. ...

Offense

The run-pass mix was typically balanced. Maybe too balanced. The Tide could and should have run more on the Tigers. A red-zone fumble by T.J. Yeldon was critical. The Tide converted only 1 of 9 third-down plays. But what a final drive. Grade: B

Defense

Some of the Tide’s tackling was unusually sloppy. Some short plays turned into big LSU gains. The Tigers reached or crossed midfield 10 times and converted 10 of 20 third-down plays. The Tide couldn’t make big stops when necessary. Grade: C

The Tide might have won this game without the drama if it had run more behind the best offensive line in college football. But give LSU credit for executing a good game plan. Grade: C

Overall

The better team on this night might not have won. The Tide looked tired in the fourth quarter. Coming off a bye week, LSU looked fresh. Previously pedestrian in his performances, LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger outperformed Alabama’s AJ McCarron. So much for his Heisman Trophy hopes. Or not? What a final drive. Grade: B